Sanitized

Chapter 35; Normal

I jumped onto a hotel bed, and felt like falling asleep then and there. I knew I couldn't though, couldn't if I had to help.
We were in a giant condo, with all of the recently unsanitized
crashed on random couches and beds.
Elliot, Tres, Marina, Capfish, and I all stood there, wiped out.
Marina looked curiously at all of the unconscious inklings and octolings asleep.
I grabbed my stomach, because I hadn't eaten in days, because sanitized people didn't need to eat meals. The life of a sanitized person was sad. Depressing. Dejecting. All sanitized were treated like objects, and weren't seen as important unless they were high ranked battle leaders. Elite octolings were treated like garbage, and regular octolings and Inktolings were treated even worse. Sanitized people never had cravings for food, as they were nourished with sanitized ink in their ink packs. I didn't remember barely anything that happened, except for the minutes before I was sanitized, and the day after. I didn't remember anything from the day when I was unsanitized, and scratched my brain to remember much of anything else.
I was tired, but Captain Curtains said that we had to help set everything up, as this was where we'd be staying for a while.
I heaved a sigh, and walked to my suitcase to grab nightclothes.
All of the others did the same, and left to go to the bathrooms.
I changed quickly and laid down on the bed, and wiped out almost immediately.
I heard Tres hop onto the bed with me, and the lights were out. I heaved a sigh, and felt my world blur as I drifted into a deep sleep.
...

I woke up in a dark room, and realized that I was still on the hotel bed. I was so paranoid at this point, that I never assumed that anything was calm. I heaved out of the bed and saw that everyone was still asleep.
I walked over to the curtains and saw that it was daytime, and decided to go to the roof and go for a swim.
I grabbed my swimsuit, and walked up the stairs to the roof.
I grabbed water protection, and sprayed it onto my body. I ran over the Turf War stage, and jumped into the pool. I let the sun soak into my skin as I floated on top of the water.
I floated there peacefully for 10 minutes, and then plunged underwater.
I swam through the tight corners of the stage, and climbed out of the water.
"Faith?" A voice said from behind me.
I turned around and saw Isaac standing a couple feet away. I took my feet off the edge of the pool, and ran up to him and hugged him.
"Isaac!" I said, smiling brightly.
"Hey, Fiver" Isaac said, embracing me tighter.
"It feels like it's been forever." I said, backing away from the hug.
"I know." he said.
I wrapped my arms around him again, and said, "I feel like I haven't even had a conversation with you in forever."
Isaa nodded and smiled.
We both paused and hugged for a moment.
I said, "Want to swim with me?"
Isaac nodded, and I sprinted up to the edge of the pool and launched myself into the water. He quickly followed, so then I asked, "Did you get water protection?"
"Oops." Isaac said, before quickly hopping out of the water and running to a duffel bag. I laughed and treaded water. I paddled around the small corners of the maze in the pool, and snuck up behind him when he was at the edge of the pool.
Isaac looked around "Faith? Where did you-"
I pushed Isaac into the pool, and he fell in and began rambunctiously attempting to tread water. I giggled madly, as he grabbed the wall.
"How dare you?!" he said jokingly.
He grabbed the edge of the pool and was right below me.
I laughed.
I kneeled down slightly, and Isaac grabbed my hands and pulled me into the pool.
I crashed into the water, and swam back up to the surface.
"Hey!" I said, before laughing.
We both laughed, and I said, "I'll get you back for that!"
Isaac laughed, and I attacked him, and attempted to pull him under the water.
He grabbed me, and carried me high above the water. He held me in his arms while I laughed and said, "No! Isaac!" I laughed infectiously.
Isaac threw me up into the air, and I landed in the pool with a splash.
"That's what you get!" he said.
I laughed again and said, "I will get my revenge!"
"You already got it!" Isaac said laughing.
"It doesn't count if you're able to fight back!" I said, lunging at him.
He dodged, and picked me up again.
"Hey!" I screamed in between laughs.
Isaac laughed at me.
He held me while I squirmed incessantly.
"Let me go!" I said giggling.
Isaac laughed and said, "Nope, you're a threat. I can't let you go until you promise that you're not going to try to get your revenge."
"Awwwww. But I wanted to get revenge." I said, crossing my arms and then laughing.
"That reminds me of the Heroes Versus Villains Splatfest!" he said.
"What are you supposed to be the hero?" I said teasingly.
"Yeah." he said.
"Well, in case you don't remember, I saw on the news that team villains won." I said.
"Well, what is team villain going to do about it this time?" he asked.
There was a moment of silence between us. Then, I couldn't control my actions. I leaned in, close to his face. I cupped my hands around his face, and breathed slowly. He blushed madly, as did I. He loosened his grip, and I leaned my face in closer to his. He stared into my eyes intently, as they began to shut. I thought to myself, "Am I really doing this?!"
I was flustered, as I did all of the movements. He lowered me down to stand next to him, not moving his eyes from mine. He blushed. I leaned my face in closer, so much as that of our lips were a centimeter away. I then dove under the water, and away from him.
"Haha! Gotcha!" I said.
Isaac blushed madly to his ears and said, "H-hey! Th-that's ch-cheating!"
"Well, of course it is! What else would you expect from Team Villains?" I said confidently.
Isaac stuttered and looked away, "I-I th-think you w-won."
"Yay!" I said, jumping up and down in the water.
Isaac laughed, the pink color slowly fading from his face.
I laughed with him, and said, "I wonder where everybody else is."
"They were still asleep when I last saw them, but maybe now they're awake." Isaac said with a shrug.
"Yay! Then I can have breakfast! I'm so hungry." I said, rubbing my stomach.
Isaac laughed and said, "Maybe."
I hopped out of the pool, and sat next to Isaac on a beach chair.
"It feels like forever since it's been this normal..." Isaac said.
I nodded and said, "Who says that's a bad thing though? I like it when life changes a bunch!"
"You're right, but sometimes it changes in the wrong ways." Isaac said, looking off into the distance.
"Yep!" I said positively.
Isaac laughed kindly, and said, "I like that you're positive Faith."
I smiled and said, "Everyone else thinks that you are too!"
"That's good." Isaac said.
I stayed quiet for a moment, staring intently at Isaac as he looked out to the distance.
I wrapped my arms around him, as he looked down at me in surprise and jumped.
"What?" I said unknowingly.
"You just startled me." Isaac said, laughing.
He wrapped his arms around me in return, and said, "Do you think we should head downstairs?"
I nodded in agreement and said, "I want waffles!"
Isaac laughed and said, "I can see if I can arrange that."
"Yay!" I said, jumped up from the chair.
I gave Isaac my hand, and he stood up from the chair, and we both walked with each other back down to the room.
I don't think I've ever felt more normal.